Traumerei Musical Analysis of Schumann\'s

Traumerei

Musical Analysis of Schumann's Traumerei

Considered one of the most famous piano pieces to emerge from the Romantic era, Robert Schumann's Traumerei is an intriguing little masterpiece with surprising harmonic changes issued from the Romantic prose and poetry (Botstein, n.d.). The following paragraphs will discuss the different musical elements encountered through a thorough analysis of Traumerei, including form, melody and harmony, and texture and rhythm.

Form

Traumerei is a short piece totaling 24 measures, with the first eight measures played twice. Those first eight measures could be referred to as the theme of the piece, as they set the standard for rhythmic figures that will be used later on. For a cut and dry form analysis, it is possible to say that Traumerei uses an AABA format, divided as follow:

A: measures 1 through 8.

A: measures 1 through 8 repeated.

B: measures 9 through 16.

A: measures 17 to 25.

It is also interesting to note a certain question and answer pattern from the beginning, with the first four bars acting as the question, while a similar rhythm with a varied melody acts as the answer, from measures 5 to 8. The same question and answer pattern is used throughout the piece, with each question and answer separated in groups of four measures. (ed. Johnson 1924, p. 114)

Melody and Harmony

As aforementioned, Traumerei seems to follow a vague pattern of question and answer. A quick analysis of the melody indicates that rhythmic patterns and phrasing are being recycled from one group of four measures to another, which supports the theory of question and answer. The changes in the melody closely follow the harmonic changes as explained below.

Traumerei starts off in the key of F major. Measures 1 through 4 outline the tonality, using a common I IV V7 pattern as follow:

Measure 1: F

Measure 2: Bb

Measure 3: F/C leading to C7

Measure 4: F. going back to C. In order to resolve in measure 5.

On the other hand, as we enter measure 5 through 8, Schumann developed the theme into secondary dominance in order to reinforce the tonality established during the first theme; within the second beat of measure 5, a distinct modulation can be heard (ed. Johnson 1924, p. 115). Measures 9 through 16 also offer modulatory changes. This section seems to start again with the same harmonic pattern used at the beginning, with measure 9 in F major; however it quickly moves on to what appears to be a D (b9) chord before resolving in G minor in measure 11 -- a key that will stay put for two measures. Moving on to measures 13 to 16, a similar modulatory motion can be observed, going from Bb to a (b9) before resolving to D. For two measures. The last beat of measure 16 then moves on to C. In order to resolve to the initial tonality of F major for a repetition of the original theme.

It should also be noted that the final cadence is much stronger than any other cadence found in the piece; the other cadences were leading into something more, a new tonality, an answer to a question, while the final cadence makes a good point of leaving nothing left to be heard. (ed. Johnson 1924, p. 115)

Texture and Rhythm